Early Mornings
by cutestmooncalfs
Summary: Lily can't fall back to sleep, despite the early hour and the cold. All because of the birds. James is up with his usual morning routine. Can the two find common ground in the quite mornings of Hogwarts?


The soft tweeting and chirping of birds, along with a hint of morning sun greeted Lily as she slowly woke up. Lily groaned not wanting to get out of bed when she turned and looked at her glowing alarm clock that read 5:30 am. Lily rolled over muffling her moan into her pillow. Why did the birds have to get up so early? Couldn't they be quiet? And why were they so damn happy? Didn't they know it was 5:30 in the morning and Lily hadn't been able to fall asleep till midnight? It was 0 degrees outside for Merlin's sake! Lily did not want to get out of her warm cocoon of blankets. She lay trying to fall back asleep for what seemed like eternity, listening to those too damn happy birds, but when she turned to look at her alarm clock it now read 5:40 am. Lily huffed a deep sigh. She wasn't going to get any more sleep it seemed. She should use the time to study for transfiguration, for she was sure McGonagall was going to give a pop quiz today. Lily softly drew the curtains of her bed, before getting up. She knew the only thing that could make this morning worse was a dormitory of sleep deprived cranky girls. Lily moved about the room getting ready for the day as quietly as she could. As she pulled her school bag over her shoulder reaching for the door to head to the great hall for breakfast she glanced back at her clock. 5:59 it glowed. Those stupid, stupid, happy birds.

The first round of breakfast pastries was already set out on the 4 house tables that stretched the length of the hall. Though not a soul was in sight as Lily entered the hall. It was a bit spooky to see the hall, usually bursting with life, completely empty. It was as though the hall was frozen in suspense of the impending breakfast rush. Lily moved silently through the rows observing the pastries. Half way down the Gryffindor table Lily found a platter of her favorite chocolate croissants. She picked one up, taking a bite as she plopped down, her bag falling on the bench next to her. Good thing about the dumb birds never shutting up she got a fresh out of the oven croissant. Lily rifled through her bag looking for her transfiguration notes, as bowls of fruit appeared on the tables. Lily grabbed an apple to munch on as she started to read her notes. Lily was soon engrossed in her reading, making the occasionally marking so she could remember the important parts. She figured she had a good hour before anyone she knew would come down to join her, but as she turned to the third page of notes she heard a voice ask "Evans?" She jumped startled. Looking up she saw James Potter standing there looking as though he was wondering if she was a hallucination.

James had gotten up that morning as he did every morning at 5:25am. He liked to go down to the quidditch pitch to run and do a few flying drills before the school day began. It helped with the quidditch season if he kept in shape, but it also made him feel better. It woke him up, allowed him time to think, and while he loved the other marauder's he also needed his alone time. Plus, there was no better feeling than that of flying. As his mother always reminded him, starting your day with something you love always helps the day go better. This morning James had run 2 kilometers before flying up and down the pitch practicing making goals with a quaffle charmed to return to him. James had been in a sour mood when he had woken up. An article in the paper yesterday had questioned the motivation of prominent wizards and witches that apposed the Muggleborn security act, as if that would protect muggleborns. James knew that forcing muggleborns to give more information to the ministry and making it public knowledge in which areas muggleborns were living, supposedly so that other witches and wizards would know to watch for specious activity, was not going to make them safer. It was information that the death eaters would love to have. It would make it easier for them to attack muggleborns and their families. While the article didn't mention James father by name it was clear that he was one of these questionable figures. The Potters were well known for public supporting the rights of all beings. The article had questioned if businesses, including Sleekeay's, were using muggleborns as cheap labor or forcing them to work. While James knew he should not listen to the rubbish in the editorial columns of the Prophet, it had angered him. How dare they support such a law! To make it appear as his parents opposed such rubbish for their own gain was prosperous! They supported what was right and just because that was how the world should work! It also had slightly spooked James. His parents were getting older, and while he whole heartily approved of their positions he did worry about them making themselves targets for death eaters. He was scared for their safety, though he would never admit this out loud. James was still caught up in his thoughts as he entered the Great Hall. He often stopped in to grab something to eat before going back up to his dorm to get ready for school. Normally the hall was empty, every now and then a stray student or two. James scanned the tables as he walked down the row, looking for his favorite egg pastries, when bright red hair caught his eye, snapping him from his thoughts. "Evans?" he asked, unsure of this unusual appearance.

Lily waited for her heart beat to slow as she watched him trying to work out where he came from. "Potter", Lily finally said, "Your up early."

James watched her for a moment, as he took the seat across from her, before shrugging, "I get up early most mornings, as appose to you whom I have never in the past seen six years seen up this early. What brings you to the Great Hall at this delightful hour, Evans?"

Lily sighed, "The birds wouldn't shut up".

James, who had started to reach for a croissant, looked up skeptically at her. "The birds?" he repeated.

Lily nodded, "The bloody birds felt the need to let the whole castle know how damn happy they were this, dreadfully cold morning, before the sun had even fully risen. They were determined to wake me up. I could have strangled a few of them."

James slowly nodded, munching on his croissant. "Well, that's one reason to be up so early" he said. "But doesn't explain what you are doing here in the Great Hall, reading... "he trailed off.

"Transfiguration notes. McGonagall is due for a pop quiz and I am hopeless at human transfiguration. I can get my eyebrows to change color, but I can't seem to get them to match" Lily rambled staring down at her notes. She looked up to see Potter trying to hide a smirk and failing. "So why do you get up at such an unholy hour, Potter?" She asked.

"To fly," James replied. At Lily's skeptical look, he adds, "What? It's nice and quiet, a good way to work through your thoughts" he says.

Lily snorts, as platters of different breakfast meats appear on the table. "What thoughts plague the great James Potter, brightest light of Gryffindor?" she says.

"This and that." James says as he reaches for some of the sausages that appeared. He was started to eat as Lily studied him silently. He then asked, "Did you read yesterday's prophet?"

Lily replied in a huff shuffling her papers, "Why would I read that rubbish, gossip rag, that passes for news?"

James chuckles, "Probably the smarter solution. They do seem to lean a bit one-sided, don't they? I'd be better off not reading it, that's for sure." James took another bite of his breakfast. When Lily simply continued to watch him, with the look of trying to read the pages of his soul, he asked "Who knew Lily Evans was so, sweary, in the morning?"

Lily glared. She held her fingers centimeters apart as she said, "I was this close to murdering the birds this morning, Potter, this close." The two chuckled softly. After a moment James turned back to his breakfast as Lily started looking for where she left off in her notes. The first wave of students was starting to trickle into the great hall, and the earliest owls swept in among the rafters. James finished his breakfast, before standing.

He said "Well, I've better go get ready for class. See you, Evans."

As he started his way up the aisle he heard Lily call "Don't be late for lessons, Potter."

**Hey! This was a weird idea I had based in my sleep deprived head because of actually being woken up by bird's way too early in the morning the past few days. I'm debating if I should continue writing it, or if I should leave it as a one shot. Please review and let me know what you think! Thanks, Cutestmooncalfs**


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